The Project
The 1–3 Smail Street co-living project in Ultimo, Sydney, is an adaptive reuse development that transforms a heritage warehouse into a modern build-to-rent living space.
The project will deliver 167 fully furnished micro-studios with shared amenities such as communal kitchens, coworking areas, and social spaces, along with a rooftop terrace and ground-floor retail. The design retains the building’s original industrial character while upgrading it for contemporary co-living, targeting students and young professionals in Sydney’s inner-city education precinct.
The Challenges
The Smail Street project presents a range of complex fire engineering challenges driven by its heritage adaptive reuse design.
Key considerations include the exposed heavy timber structure, where large columns, beams, and herringbone ceilings must meet required fire resistance levels through performance-based solutions while preserving the architectural character.
The extensive use of exposed brick and masonry also requires careful smoke and flame spread management strategies. The introduction of lightwells and internal courtyards improves natural daylight but impacts compartmentalisation, requiring detailed modelling of smoke movement and egress performance.
In addition, structural upgrades to support new loads must maintain fire integrity across reinforced steel and concrete elements. Finally, converting the building into residential co-living studios requires tailored egress and life safety solutions to comply with the National Construction Code while retaining the existing building layout.
- ClientApt
- BuilderTrescon
- ArchitectAJC Architects
- Project Value$53 million